Decorticating-machine.



M. PRIETO.

DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOVLlB, 1909.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIVVENTOH A TTORIVE V UNITED STATES'PATEN T OFFICE.

MANUEL PRIETO, 0F MERIDA, MEXICO, ASSIGNOR TO PRIETO MACHINE C0,, INC., A

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DECORTIGATING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANUEL PRIETO, a subject of the King of Spain, and resident of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DecorticatingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in decorticating or fiber cleaning machines.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a device for shifting the leaves between the two successive operations of cleaning the opposite ends thereof.

The general features of construction of the machine are the same as those shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 490,310, filed April 16th, 1909.

The particular and novel features of the shifting or changing mechanism will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the particular type of machine herein shown the leaves to be treated are first re ceived between two entrance rollers and a carrier chain which moves in a horizontal plane. A carrier shoe is positioned over the carrier chain opposite the scutching drum and the leaves being carried under this shoe by the carrier chain are gripped and held while the butt end of the leaves are cleaned. After this first operation of cleaning, the leaves then pass to the shifting or changing device by means of which the position of the leaves is changed and are then carried a second time past the scutching wheel where the opposite end of the leaf is cleaned. It is thus seen that the object as accomplished by this machine is an automatic operation of cleaning the entire leaf with one scutching wheel, resulting in a simple and compact construction and a great saving of power and space.

Other objects will be in part obvious and will in part appear hereinafter in connection with the description of the machine shown in the accompanying drawings.

Like parts in the several views have been given the same reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fiber cleaning machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with a portion of the scutching wheel broken away. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the machine showing the shifting or changing device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1909.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911. Serial No. 528,731.

The base 1 of suitable construction is pro vided upon which the operating mechanism is mounted.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the leaves are first fed horizontally between the entrance roller 2 and the carrier chain 3, preferably with the butt end toward the scutching wheel. The carrier chain 3 is of endless construction positioned and arranged to revolve in a horizontal plane. The several links of the carrier chain 3 are provided with up wardly extending projections which engage the leaves as the same pass under the rollers 2 from which they are carried under the contact shoe 4. This contact shoe is provided with grooves so as to cooperate with the projections on the carrier chain 3. The contact shoe 4 is held by means of suitable springs so that as the leaves pass between the shoe 4 and the carrier chain 3 the same are securely gripped and held while being carried by and into engagement with the knives 5 of the scutching wheel 6. This first operation cleans one end of the leaves and the same are then carried on to the incline 7.

The incline 7 is of peculiar construction, being raised at its central portion and having positioned thereover a chain 8 which is provided with projecting teeth to engage the leaves and move the same forward over the incline. As the leaves pass from under the contact shoe 4, the outer ends having been cleaned, the opposite uncleaned end portions will be engaged and raised by the incline 7 and chain 8. Meanwhile, the cleaned portions arranged at a lower elevation than the uncleaned portions, will be engaged by the carrier chain 3, and pass between said chain and the guide member 9 at a point below a downwardly and outwardly projecting auxiliary guide member 18. The auxiliary guide member 18 engages the uncleaned portions of the leaves as the latter leave the incline 7, and since the guide 18 projects outwardly to a point beyond the portion of the guide 9 beneath the same, it will be evident that said member 18 will force the uncleaned ends of the leaves outwardly so as to fall over the guide 9, the operation of reversing the leaves end for end being thus completed. The guide 18 curves outwardly and downwardly from the outer end of the incline 7 The leaves, after being reversed as above described, are carried onward with the cleaned ends between the chain 3 and the guide 1nember79, the uncleaned ends of the leaves being arranged on the outer side of the guide 9. As the leaves are carried around, they pass the scutching wheel a second time, and the latter cleans the remaining uncleaned portions, after which the fibrous strands drop from the terminal of the guide 9 and are carried by the delivery chain 15 to a suit-able receptacle. The first time the leaves pass the scutching wheel, they are supported by the chain 3 which carries said leaves past the pointof delivery to the chain 15, whereas, the second time the leaves pass the scutching wheel, they are supported by the guide 9 only and can then drop from said guide to the chain 15 at the end of the cleaning operation.

It is thus seen that after the leaves are once fed'to the machine the operation of cleaning the entire leaf is automatically accomplished, the leaves first being fed horizontally on top of the carrier chain, held between the upper port-ion of this chain and the contact shoe while the first operation of cleaning one end of the leaf is performed, raising and reversing the position of the leaf so that the same is held at its clean portion between the outer portion of the carrier chain and guide member and carried the second time into engagement with the scutching wheel, cleaning the remaining portionof the leaf.

The scutching wheel 6 is driven by a belt pulley 10 from a suitable source of power. The carrier chain 3 is revolved-in a horizontal plane by means of sprocket wheels 11 and 12, the sprocket wheel 11 being driven from .a suitable source of power by a shaft 13 upon which is mounted a. beveled gear 1A. The deliveryrchain 15 may be driven from the same source of power. The chain 8 is driven by means of a chain 16 from the rollers 2 and a chain 17 froman intermediate sprocket. I 7

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely differentembodiments of my invention designed without departing from the scope of the appended claims, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative merely of an operative embodiment of my invention and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:'

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a scutching wheel, a carrier wheel arranged to convey leaves past said wheel, an inclined member arranged to raise a portion of said leaves while engaged by the carrier chain, a guide coacting with the carrier chain arranged beneath the inclined member, and an auxiliary guide between the first mentioned guide and the inclined member to engage the leaves after passing over the inclined member, said guide projecting outwardly beyond the delivery end of the inclined member, and beyond said auxiliary guide.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a scutching wheel, a carrier chain formed and arranged to carry the leaves in two positions successively into engagement with said scutching wheel, an inclined member positioned to engage and raise said leaves on said carrier chain between the said successive operations of said scutching wheel thereupon, and an endless chain positioned to pass continuously over said inclined member and to carry said leaves thereover in engagement therewith.

'3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a scutching wheel, a carrier chain formed and arranged to carry the leaves in two positions successively into engagement with said scutching wheel, an inclined member having a raised intermediate portion positioned'to engage and raise said leaves on said carrier chain between the said successive operations of said scutching wheel thereupon, an endless chain positioned to pass continuously over said inclined member and to carry said lea'ves thereover in engagement therewith, and means for reversing the position of the uncleaned end of said leaves after the same have been raised by said inclined member.

Signed at Progreso, Mexico, this 9th day of October, 1909.

MANUEL PRIETO. vVitnessesz A. F. DE LA CAGUERA, ENRIQUE IHL S.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the flommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

